Recently I've been thoroughly enjoying the Sly Cooper Collection, and inevitably my mind began pondering the HD collections I don't have, namely because they don't exist. So, below I will list for your reading pleasures the 10 HD collections I would most like to see come to fruition. Also, while these are not all Sony exclusives, I'm making this list from the perspective of a PS3 owner. The games listed under the listed title are what I'm basing the pricing on, though in some cases I will also consider other games for the collection (this is make believe after all). Oh, and one last thing, every collection would of course include trophies...don't worry trophy whores!

NBA Street: Old School HD Collection

Games: NBA Street Vol. 1,2 & 3

Suggested retail price: $40

Who is Robert “Bobbito” Garcia? He goes by many nicknames: Kool Bob Love, DJ Cucumberslice, Bobbito The Barber, Make It Happen, Boogie Bob, Soul Food Bob and Bag Of Tricks (…aaaaand breathe). To me, he is the most entertaining commentator for a sports game in, what I believe, is the best sports game ever – NBA Street Vol. 2. Sacrilege? I know, Joe Montana did such a bang up job in Joe Montana Football 94, wait…he didn’t? All kidding aside, Bobbito exemplifies why the NBA Street series holds such a special place in my heart; it’s tight and flashy gameplay was a blast to play, the visuals captured a retro vibe and mixed it with a slightly cartoonish aesthetic without over emphasizing anything the way the other Street series did, and the audio was phenomenal mixing together over a decade of classic, and less known, hip hop tracks. In volumes 2 and 3, Bobbito blessed the mic adding in a touch of flavor and analysis as the final ingredient.

"Once I made a friend into a 5'6 and 250 lb character, he wasn't happy with how accurate I was."

Unlike the rest of the list, the NBA Street collection is very simple: all three volumes in the series. As a kid, I played for countless hours unlocking every character and jersey, and maxed out my own baller’s stats (nicknamed “Smooth”) and would jump at the chance to once again play them again in all of their HD glory. Also, there would be something else to unlock – trophies!

So, besides upgrading the visuals, what extra should be done?

An accessible online function, also including leaderboard scoring for the single player game modes.

An obstacle course game mode, where you have to do specific moves as you go. Functions as an advance tutorial, except fun.

Music video mode, where you select a track and play a pickup game in that time trying to score as many style points as possible, afterwards the player can save the video if they want and even upload it.

Though unlikely, if Bobbito recorded the commentary for Vol. 1 that would instantly bolster its replayability.

Onimusha: HD Collection

Games: Oni: Warlords, Oni 2: Samurai's Destiny, & Oni 3: Demon Seige

Suggested retail price: $40

Samanosuke Akechi and Jacques Blanc from Oni 3

Before God of War ascended (oh yeah…) to the throne of the Action/Adventure genre, two Capcom franchises dueled for superiority: Devil May Cry and Onimusha. While the poster child for Capcom is surely the white-haired (until recently) Dante from DMC, to me the better series is actually Onimusha. It featured a similar, though slightly slower and not quite as technical, hack ‘n slash combat system paired with an inspired feudal Japan setting. The first and third entries in the series showcased Samanosuke Akechi, while the second starred Jubei Yagyu, all three intense and prideful demon-hunting samurai, “SAMURAI!”

"Onimusha is better than Devil May Cry - Colin Moriarty"

The three numbered Oni games have a cohesiveness that lends itself well to a trilogy, so all three are a must; however, the overlooked Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams would cap off an already stellar lineup of games – though is by no means necessary. Though the original Onimusha was also released on the Xbox, considering every subsequent release (not including a GBA game) saw only the PlayStation 2 platform. Maybe it’s not likely in light of Capcom’s incessant money grabbing, if the Onimusha HD Collection was PS3 exclusive I for one would be happy. If you are a fan of games such as God of War, Devil May Cry or Darksiders you must check out Onimusha (personally, I feel the third is the best of them all).

So, besides upgrading the visuals, what extra should be done?

The outstanding character actor Jean Reno costarred in Onimusha 3, but did not produce English voice overs. I'd like to see that changed.

Guilty Gear HD Collection

Games: Guilty Gear X, Guilty Gear XX and Guilty Gear: Judgement

Suggested retail price: $40

Arc Systems Works consistently has crafted the most beautiful looking 2D fighting games ever. Those familiar and striking sprites still look great even today, and would benefit from the HD upgrade. For those unaware of the Guilty Gear franchise, it’s one of the more technical fighters from its day, and unlike most fighting games it actually strives to tell a story – though the characters are over the top and the story is only good for a fighting game. The hardest part would be upgrading the backgrounds, which are stunning, living and intricate backdrops with nearly as much personality as the crazy characters that you play as but are hand drawn.

"Some of the most beautiful fighting games ever."

The two PS2 iterations of the franchise (X and XX ‘X2’) respectively, and are the selling points in the collection. From there, three other games are options to be included and, in a perfect world, could all be. First, the original Guilty Gear released for the PlayStation, so all I could hope for would be a port of the game for a cohesiveness. More likely, the PSP title Guilty Gear: Judegement could use the Metal Gear Solid Peacewalker treatment and see the glory of the mother console. Less likely would be the Microsoft only Guilty Gear 2: Overture. I’m not sure why Overture only came to the Xbox 360, but I’d hope to see it added with the other games for a true collection of the best looking fighting games of the past few generations.

So, besides upgrading the visuals, what extra should be done?

Instead of the original Guilty Gear XX, use the tweaked and improved re-release Guilty Gear XX #Reload.

Include options for the redone audio and major gameplay tweaks for each game.

If Guilty Gear 2: Overture is added, make some of BlazBlue's (spiritual successor to the Guilty Gear franchise) most popular characters unlockable.

Shin Megami Tensei HD Collection

Games: SMT: Persona III, SMT: Persona IV and SMT III: Nocturne

Suggested retail price: $50

There is little debate over which two JRPG franchises reign supreme, HINT: Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. What may be the third best has sadly gone underappreciated in the States, Shin Megami Tensei. The series has seen an overhaul in gameplay, shifting from the typical first person dungeon crawler of the late 80’s/early 90’s in the first game in the series – Shin Megami, released in 1987 for the Super Famicom – to a hybrid social interaction simulator/turn based RPG in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona III. The continuing theme of the series is a focus on the occult, and the interesting mixture of high school drama and the supernatural is an intriguing combination that is quite unique and most certainly an influence for another somewhat bizarre but awesome game from the same publisher - Atlus - Catherine.

The two obvious games to be included are Persona III and IV, which continues what the Persona series started with the first (Revelations: Persona released for the PlayStation in 1996), as they are the most successful in the franchise to date and also would increase attention for Persona 4 Arena (for the PS3) and Person 4 Golden (PSVita). Hopefully, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, with its post apocalyptic Tokyo setting, could be included with the PlayStation ports of the series’ original two games, though it would be understandable if Atlus decided to only package SMTIII: Nocturne with the Persona games.

So, besides upgrading the visuals, what extra should be done?

Add a clean and well presented synopsis of the previous Shin Megami Tensei games.

Unlockable concept art.

Include a voice acted (preferably creepy) description/backstory for each Pysche/Demon.

Grand Theft Auto Stories: The HD Collection

Games: GTA III, GTA IV, GTA: San Andreas, GTA: Vice City

Suggested retail price: $60

It's about time

In 2001, developer Rockstar collectively blew our minds with the smash hit Grand Theft Auto III, and with it proved how gratifying a fully realized sandbox world could be with enough attention to detail and character (oh, and a good radio station). Without GTA III, one of the most influential games of the modern era, would games such as inFamous, Far Cry, Arkham City, Just Cause and many more be nearly as popular as they are? Would they even exist at all in their current state? It’s hard to measure the success of the following releases against the breakout achievement of GTA III as the franchise immediately became one of the biggest in the world and thus gained an enormous following, one thing is easy to measure: Grand Theft Auto deserved the moniker of its developer.

"Grand Theft Auto III is one of the 5 most important games ever - IGN's Colin Moriarty"

Making a Grand Theft Auto HD Collection is a no brainer; I’m sure it will happen eventually. What is difficult is deciding what games to cram into the collection as there have been nine full games. GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Adreas followed GTA III and consequently built upon the momentum with staggering sales numbers and are a must. The two PSP entries, GTA: Liberty City Stories (a prequel to GTA III) and GTA: Vice City Stories (prequel to GTA: Vice City), both had PS2 ports meaning it shouldn’t be too difficult to add to the collection – though admittedly not vital to the HD collection. Rockstar could even take it further, adding in GTA IV and it’s two expansion packs (The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony) though there is no reason to bring these three to the HD Collection unless you were to go ahead and make the ultimate collection – including a port of the first two Grand Theft Autos – so for now we will stick to the PS2 era Grand Theft Auto games and still have an incredible amount of content easily warranting the full retail price tag.

Add an option to play music stored on your PS3 instead of the preset stations.

Suikoden HD Collection

Games: Suikoden III, IV and V

Suggested retail price: $40

What is Kakashi doing here?

Less is more. It’s not quantity but quality. These are a few quips with which Suikoden contends. When I played Chrono Cross, which has (I believe) 44 characters, my mind was blown. Sure, it doesn’t make for the best characters once you get past the most important, but it becomes akin to collecting every weapon in a game. Then I played Suikoden. The interesting world and intricately woven tale following the Tenkai Star, which changes with each installment, allows the recruitment of up to 108 individuals – in each game. How you control these characters are important, as you issue teams along a strategic grid before transferring to said battle to engage in a more traditional JRPG battle system making for an exciting experience with some incredible replayability, even for a JRPG.

"Another all time great JRPG series, it's kind of a trend with me, huh?"

Similar to Final Fantasy, the Suikoden series doesn’t have much connecting each entry other than the basic elements, such as the 108 stars of destiny. As such, the first two games, which were released on the PlayStation, are not necessary for the collection. The three PS2 games, Suikoden III, IV and V are easy and simple selections that could use the facelift and exposure to hopefully kickstart the enthusiasm for this great franchise.

So, besides upgrading the visuals, what extra should be done?

Glossary of sorts.

Unlockable character art and concept art.

An animated telling of the story Shui Hu Zhuan (All Men Are Brothers) of which Suikoden is based.

Star Ocean: The HD Collection

Games: Star Ocean: Til the End of Time, Star Ocean: The Last Hope

Suggested retail price: $40

Star Ocean: Til the End of Time has one of the most enjoyable combat systems for a JRPG ever. In essence it is an action RPG, with four available attacks: strong, short / strong, long / weak, short / weak, long; and the ability to allocate different types of special attacks to any slot (with each special attack differing in results depending on its type of attack). So while it is a real time action RPG, there is much strategy to be had. Also, to make things more intuitive the battle menu – found at the top of the screen – stops while selecting an action, so one does not feel overwhelmed when trying to find a potion or medicine. Though the story isn’t on par with the best in the genre, the characters are emotion driven and all fairly relatable. And Albel is a badass, just saying.

"One of the best JRPG combat systems ever."

In a departure from the rest of the list, I personally would be fine with just Star Ocean: Til the End of Time being remade, as opposed to multiple games. My reasoning is this: The original game only released for the Super Famicon, while the second game came to the PlayStation. Star Ocean: Blue Sphere was released on the GBA (only in Japan) and then Star Ocean: TET came to the PS2. So there is little that could or should be packaged in with TET, especially considering the story only has loose ties to each other. However, it’s hard to imagine just the one game garnering much notice, so toss in Star Ocean: The Last Hope – which was released for the PS3 in 2010 – and you have a very respectable price for one of my favorite JRPG’s of the PS2 era…and another game.

So, besides upgrading the visuals, what extra should be done?

Make sure Star Ocean: Til the End of Time is the director's cut.

Add in an alchemy table, making it easy to craft and keep up with item's you've made.

Include some unlockable concept art.

The NIS HD Collection

Games: Makai Kingdom, Phantom Brave and GrimGrimoire

Suggested retail price: $40

These three absolute gems from Nippon Ichi Software deserve to see an HD collection. Though none would likely be considered one of the very best in the tactical role-playing genre, NIS has proven time and time again to be capable of crafting a finely tuned and deep experience with memorable and quirky characters. I'd even say that they are almost solely responsible keeping the genre afloat. GrimGrimoire boasts the most awe-inspiring visuals of the three, while Makai Kingdom is arguably the most fun to play. There are two games absent from this collection if you know me, but for now let's focus on these wonderful games.

So, besides upgrading the visuals, what extra should be done?

It would be awesome to see some more Disgaea characters added, such as Mao and Valvatorez.

Disgaea: Bada** HD Collection!

Games: Disgaea: Hour of Darkness and Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories

Suggested retail price: 999,999,999 HL (or $40)

Though most Strategy RPG fans would likely say that Fire Emblem is the best and most prolific series to date (with Final Fantasy tactics being the best game), I’d back the Disgaea series for that title. From the unsurpassed level of depth and complexity in the combat system to the lovably quirky and over the top characters like Laharl, Etna and Flonne, the first Disgaea set a benchmark for SRPG’s that even its sequels have struggled to match.

"Disgaea is better than Fire Emblem. Come at me bro."

What is most exciting about an HD remaster (or remake) is the fact that NIS has the ability to recreate most of the game with the sprites used for Disgaea 4 which opens up a slew of possibilities, which I will cover in the extras section. Besides the two numbered entries, which would amount to hundreds of hours of playtime (closer to a thousand for me), the third Disgaea – released for the PS3 in 2008 – isn’t truly in HD, so though unlikely could be packaged in…for now I won’t include it. A more intriguing idea would be to include the 2D hack ‘n slash PSP spinoff games: Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? and Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties Dood! If the two Prinny games are in the collection, the price would be bumped up to $60.

So, besides upgrading the visuals, what extra should be done?

Add in some special characters such as Master Champloo from Disgaea 3 and Emizel from Disgaea 4.

Include a "evil task" system, where if you perform a specific action you unlock an episode of the Disgaea anime

Package in at least one of the game modes from later Disgaea series (and have all available for DLC if not in the game): Command Attack, Survival Mode and Item World Survival Attack Mode.

Make the free DLC Challenge Baal available for Disgaea 1 and 2.

The Complete Kingdom Hearts Collection

When Kingdom Hearts first came out, I was just beginning my love affair with JRPG’s. What happened next when I put the disc in and that perfectly serene and majestic menu screen popped up was something close to euphoric. Even at the time with my less than extensive knowledge, I understood how crazy marrying Square Enix characters with Disney characters and worlds was; but likewise, I realized just how fantastically they pulled coupling those two distinct properties. As far as true HD “remasters” are concerned (not to be confused with a complete remake) there has been no louder outcry for a collection than a Kingdom Hearts HD collection. Equally, very few if any games have been more clamored for than Kingdom Hearts 3, though that is for another blog.

We can safely say the first two Kingdom Hearts are certain for the HD collection, but should it stop there? I would argue that while I would rather own, and play, the original numbered KH games, what I think is possibly more important to increase excitement for the franchise is to bring the handheld games into the fray. All of them. Now, it would be a lot to pack into one game collection, and I would be fine if they split the three PS2 games (including the ported from DS Re:Chain of Memories) into one collection for $40 and the other three: 358/2 Days, Birth By Sleep and Dream Drop Distance into another for $40. Though it is pure speculation, we might see an upcoming God of War Saga package all of its remastered games into one ultimate collection, so – and again it’s just guessing – Kingdom Hearts would have a precedent in place or be the precedent setter itself.

So, besides upgrading the visuals, what extra should be done?

A must is a synopsis of the games' storyline, more than just the journals, to make it easier to follow along with the complex story.

It would be very cool to be able to view characters models.

Unlockable concept art for the games.

Include the Final Mix of each game.

Add the Critical Mode from Birth By Sleep to all possible games for extra challenge.

Also, toss in the Theater Mode from Birth By Sleep as well to be able to view all unlocked movies.

SPOILERS: This is the Japanese opening for Kingdom Hearts II, and it's amazing.

Wait...something is missing? There seems to be one more HD Collection that I've missed...what was it? Well, I suppose you will have to check back in tomorrow to see if I remembered (HINT: There is a super special number 0 that deserves its own blog). Hopefully you enjoyed reading my unrealistic and completely not plausible ideas for the HD Collections that I want to see, but what about you? Let me know what you want or what things you would add to what I've got.

Also, I want to give a special shout out to LPfanatic4ev for helping with the Kingdom Hearts section, you da man Justin!

Maybe it's the shiny cover, maybe it's the neon colors, maybe it's the crazy lines; it's hard to describe why I love JSRF's cover so much, other than it's extremely cool and refreshing. This is such a rad game, and I'm glad that Jet Set Radio is coming to PSN. Speaking of...

The song above is my personal favorite. On Flowen7's blog I described it as a weird Cowboy Bebop-like disco/hip hop/jazz song, and that's just the begginning.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater who?

"I feel like Foxy Brown is gonna bust through a wall and say, "Quit that tagging sucka!" then give me a long kiss for no apparent reason other than to exploit her sexuality."

9. Diablo III

Diablo III took 11 years to develop, 4 was spent on the cover

I've done the research, this is the most badass cover in game history. I could expand upon the different design elements that make this such an awesome cover, but it's not my specialty and if you disagree I'd have no shot to change your mind anyways.

"Damn that Steve Rogers!"

Wouldn't ya know, Diablo II used to own the title of most badass cover. Sure, it almost looks like Red Skull is rockin' a cowl, but when this game came out the cover was pretty sinister. Even today it gets your attention on the shelf (which it still is).

8. Odin Sphere

The luminescent, watercolor-like cover is without a doubt one of the prettiest covers ever. If you've play games like Muramasa: Demon Blade, Bastion or Braid then you will probably love Odin Sphere's art style. Here's the US trailer if you're interested in what the gameplay looks like.

7. Okami

The cover of Okami is painted in a Japanese ink-drawing style known as Sumi-e (according to Wikipedia) that, to me, is wonderfully imaginative and gorgeous, like the game. It's no surprise that so many covers have had a color palette consisting of red, white and black - they just look good together. Even the back cover looks great, as Amaterasu chews on the gameplay screens. So cute, yet fierce.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Am I the only one who thought this was designed by the Yugi-Oh! creators?

Just remarkable, the cover is both a throwback to the older covers and obviously a departure from what most of them have looked like. A more grown up Link painted in wonderful pastel colors is just one of the many reasons why this is such a good cover. I can't stop here though, listen to some wub wub of our favorite helper (no not the word paper clip) and look at the devolution of the Zelda cover.

"One thing has remained the same: Zelda."

5.Super Mario Bros. 3/SuperMarioWorld

The best Mario game ever.

This game has a special place in my heart because it was the first Mario game I ever played. While it would be a few years before I truly fell in love with gaming, I'll never forget the fun I had playing this with my friends. michaelrobot13 sorry to disappoint you that this isn't #1, but hey I'll make it up to ya by saying check this guys work out (all my followers probably have already ) he's a great artist and a cool d00d:

http://people.ign.com/michaelrobot13

"Yoshi is OP as hell."

Super Mario World is even more precious to me than Super Mario Bros. 3, which is saying something. Do you remember when there was no internet or Google, and if you were stuck in a game you either had to ask around the playground (and possible offer up a pudding cup for information) or call a helpline at a cost of your weekly allowance per minute? For Super Mario World, I was the guy collecting pudding Cups There was no better feeling than telling my friends how to reach the Star World. One more incredibly iconic Mario cover...

Mario deserves the spotlight all on his own, but I feel like I must add two more games that also defined my childhood and which I hold dear:

4. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

This Disgaea cover took what was great with JRPG covers (anime-style characters) and Grand Theft Auto (comic-like panels) and combined them and threw in a little Laharl for some extra impact. I love this game more than I love the cover. I've only bought a game based purely off the cover twice, so I'm batting .500. Sadly, this is a very niche game so chances are if you would like it you've probably already played it.

The song is The Invasion from Tsunami Bomb.

"Very similar style to Odin Sphere."

"Zetta is a badass overlord, until he finds his way into my world."

3. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

I've said several times a game or its cover looked like a water color, but compared to Metal Gear Solid the others like more like a painting. The series is overflowing with cool style and amusing allusions. The third is the most badass of the three games with this style, so it gets the nod for the selection. However, I would be remiss without noting the single most creative cover design ever (in my opinion), the screen on the back of Metal Gear Solid showing Meryl's frequency - so awesome. Where most games/movies that break the fourth wall seems hurt the experience, somehow the Metal Gear Solid franchise makes it work. Props to Hideo.

2. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

This is my favorite game of all time, and the poster behind my chair is my proof!

There is no game I hold more dear to me than Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, and the whole series for that matter. I fell in love with gaming after playing the first two; but this is a "My Favorite Video Games List," so the covers have to really standout to place #2 here - I feel that they do. Each box looks like a leather bound book (similar to The Elder Scrolls, but it came first). I know that this isn't really a factor, but even the manuals are awesome! Each appears to be an aged book, and within are two highly amusing characters in Volo and Elminster (famous D&D characters) who comment on entries, and sometimes eachother. It's all just a great package. Remember when games still had Manuals? BGII's has 192 pages. I miss 'em too.

1. Kingdom Hearts

Please make Kingdom Hearts 3 already

To me, this is the single most beautiful video game cover ever. From it's wonderful hand drawn characters to the symbolism of the blue tint and the character's position - this is just masterfully created. As you will see, this cover wasn't a fluke.

Much like other games, especially Final Fantasy, there are multiple great handheld covers as well. That being said, I think the Kingdom Hearts franchise is properly represented here. For your listening pleasure, here's the Japanese opening to Kingdom Hearts II. The song is Sanctuary (Passion in Japan) by Hikaru Utada. It's in Japanese for a reason by the way, because it's the better version. Enjoy:

Well that's it folks! What did ya think? I love these covers, hopefully you did too. If you weren't impressed, then I don't know what to tell you other than you just have bad taste

20. Chrono Trigger – What’s more emotionally powerful than knowing your actions directly affect not only the world you currently live in, but the future as well? In Chrono Trigger you play as Chrono, a boy with a friend maybe a little too smart for her own good. Many games have tried to replicate the time traveling in the game, usually unsuccessfully because of time paradoxes and inconsistencies, but the original remains the best. Add in the always welcomed super deformed sprites and a world and people you care about saving; and you have a place that is supremely memorable.

"From the DS remake. Was Frog (awesome name...) the inspiration for the character in Soul Calibur? I'm thinking yes."

19. The Witcher 2 – With impressive graphical fidelity combined with a complex and mature story The Witcher 2 is one of the best RPG’s in a while. Unlike admittedly great RPG’s like Skyrim that make the player feel like a god amongst mortals, The Witcher 2 makes you feel like the opposite: an outcast. You’re used for your prowess in battle and innate powers as a Witcher, and this departure from the norm is so immersing that the motivations of those around you somehow matter more. The game is a little dark (both graphically and morally) so when creatures are luminescent it looks majestic while frightening. A sign of a great video game world is one in which it engrosses you in its story and amplifies that attachment by supplementing realistic characters and accessible motivations; The Witcher 2 does this masterfully.

"The dude carries around two swords, one for these guys...and one for humans that piss him off. Badass."

18. Final Fantasy X – Most Final Fantasy games have some form of: multiple continents, a desert, mysterious forest, island and snowy mountains; so does Final Fantasy X. One of the reasons X gets by with this trope is how magnificently well these environments are done. The tropical islands with Wakka and company feels real enough to except, yet strange enough to marvel over; the frigid mountains of the sweet, sweet Kimahri Ronso who despite being a fearsome looking being is bullied by his peers; the desert with the devious Riku with rich lore surrounding her, and the entire game for that matter. My point is, even if a games settings are at the base cliché, if the characters that inhabit the world are strong enough and the world itself is creatively made it shifts from overused to familiar. Familiar is good.

"Just enjoy this."

17. Silent Hill 2 – Silent Hill isn’t exactly your typical sleepy Everytown, USA. James Sunderland stumbles on the desolate, fog covered town after receiving a letter from his deceased wife Mary only to find it’s not what he was looking for. This was the first legitimately scary game I ever played, and I still remember how disturbing James’ loud footsteps sounded in the not always as empty as they seemed hallways. While the deformed and grotesque creatures, and incredible effectively terrifying sounds, added several coats of frightening paint, the most horrific and in a way beautiful aspect of the game is that Silent Hill actually manifested from the mind of James; and it’s his disturbed mental state that’s created the living hell around him.

"Remember when Silent Hill and Resident Evil we're scary?"

16. Little Big Planet – Media Molecule’s weird, wacky, and most importantly fun game help revolutionize the landscape of video games. Nowadays it’s becoming commonplace to use in game assets and tools to create their own games but is wasn't nearly as prevalent before LBP. Little Big Planet’s stages have a South Park-like cardboard cutouts as backgrounds and the indomitably cute Sackboy to traverse it’s obstacles and puzzles. Even without the user built levels and games, LBP boast a vibrant and fantastical world that’s a joy to see and play; but it’s the countless unique creations that push the game from being a great romp through a cool world into a genre defining experience – and one that will keep on giving.

"I love spicy foods...just sayin'"

15. Journey – Emotional, that’s the best way for me to describe Journey. As is the case with all thatgamecompany’s games, Journey is told without any dialogue and a minimalist overall design. Unlike Flow and Flower which subtly grasp at your heartstrings as you play for longer amounts of time, Journey immediately grips you and thrusts you into a strikingly wonderful desert with just you – the traveler – and your journey ahead of you (I now feel obligated to one bad pun a post). The music perfectly reflects the sentiment of the story and compels you towards your goal meanwhile; random other players, who you will never know or be able to talk to, can join you in a multiplayer that fits perfectly in with the overall experience. Even my very logical and not overly sensitive friend was moved by this game. And I want to reiterate one thing: the sounds is freaking incredible. A perfect marriage of gameplay, story, sound and visuals.

14. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – For many of us the idea of wielding a lightsaber and slicing through Sith (or for most Jedi ^_^) is a childish dream that sometimes becomes an adult fantasy. With KOTOR, BioWare gave gamers the opportunity to fulfill their dreams as much as is possible, at the moment. You’re a jedi with amnesia and in this twisting saga you travel through some of the iconic settings in Star Wars lore and control just how good or bad your character is. Though the universe is incomprehensibly vast and hard for most to completely grasp, KOTOR does an admirable job of infusing the tale with interesting lore and giving the player many sidekicks that are memorable. Oh, and that twist? Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it either.

13. Shadow of the Colossus – Wander is quite possibly the most appropriate name for a protagonist in the history of gaming. As was the case with Ico, the player is given very little back story other than he is on a quest to resurrect a girl named Mono. Over the course of the game, Wander and his only friend Agro (his horse) ride through the mysteriously murky Forbidden Lands in search of the Colossi, his sixteen obstacles in between him and his honey. These long jaunts solidify the loneliness of the hero’s quest and the feeling of insurmountable odds. Before God of War’s epic battles against hulking Titans or the depressing atmosphere of Demon Souls, Shadow of the Colossus revolutionized the “action” of modern video games. The wait creates anticipation and tension, something lost on the unforgiving action of many games today.

"He's still probably a mile away..."

12. Red Dead Redemption – Ever play Cowboys and Indians as a kid? Nobody wanted to be the Indian. Cowboys have a romanticized history starting with Westerns in the 40’s and 50’s and other than the spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood and company, and a few gritty tales (True Grit? Hahaha…) cowboys have been painted as lone heroes that always get the girl and save the day. While John Marston doesn’t exactly eschew all of those typical cowboy fantasies, he most certainly resides in the realm of a gritty and mature American Frontier. RDR is just plain and simple a game that oozes charisma and quality. The world itself is surprisingly well constructed and the stunning graphics add to the environment. Red Dead Redemption is without a doubt one of the most interesting and painstakingly detailed sandbox worlds ever crafted.

Top ten is coming soon! I’ve had a blast with making these lists, and as I get closer and closer to the number one spot my nostalgia factor is reaching critical mass. I feel great about my placements so far, but maybe you don’t. Let me know what you think of the lists so far and have an awesome day friends!

Over the last decade or so being a gamer has become much less of a reason to disassociate oneself, publicly I might add, and more of an acceptable hobby. Heck I might even say it's becoming hip (I hope that's the correct term these days). Case in point:

In a little over twenty years geeks, or nerds, have gone from social pariahs to, well sometimes they can be kinda cool or sexy. In my years of gaming I never thought about how ridiculous some of the things I did were. In Final Fantasy VII I had 6 saves, six! Including one where Cloud is in a dress. I never thought twice about this; but I was just a kid right?

While playing Skyrim I found myself going out of my way to do things such as wearing armor that reflected my current mission...including lugging around an otherwise useless Miner's Shirt for mining that not so precious iron. Even at Blacksmithing level 100. And it doesn't end there.

I actually made a pact with my friends to forge our Dragon Armor sets at the Skyforge in third person. I began to realize just how nerdy I had become. This got me thinking, what is the nerdiest, geekiest, most outlandish thing I've done in a video game.

Yeah, I RP walk in a RPG. You can't spell RPG without OH YOU GET THE POINT! That's not the craziest thing I've done.

Let's see, the first time I got an S rank with handicaps maxed against the hardest character in Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm I took a picture and sent it to my best friend. Even better, I finally caught a shiny Pokemon and called my friend; I didn't care that it was a Magnemite.

In the end I feel like the nerdiest thing I've done in the wonderful world of video gaming, is deleting a 100+ hour Disgaea save because I fell asleep with the PS2 running and unwittingly saved; thus inflating my save. I did replay the game, derr. Slight side note, I have a platinum in Disgaea 3 and 4, wussup?!!?

I would love to hear your nerdiest moment. Leave it in the comments below and you will feel like a better person .